Dear Friends,

One of the joys of any holiday season

is the gathering together of all the treasured ornaments that have accumulated over the years. Some bring wonderful memories of friends and family who have remembered you in some special way with their selection of a beautiful ornament.

It may have been a wedding day gift for your first Christmas tree, or a baby's first Christmas ornament, or even a memory of a fishing trip with friends. All in all, each time that special ornament is hung on the ceiling-high evergreen each holiday season, it brings warm memories of those both near and far, those with us and those who have gone to be with our Lord.  The holidays always bring joy, to be surrounded by loved ones, to hold onto customs and traditions.

      As the year draws to a close, I want to extend the warmest of thanks to all my family and friends  for their continued artistic support throughout the last twelve months. I wish you love, peace and joy in 2018.  I look forward to help with all your visions and ideas in the future.

Happy New Year!  XO, Patty B. Lipinski, Illustrator

"Winter Fantasy" Mixed Media, 8" x 11"

Breaking Bread

Last night I was preparing the stuffing for the turkey. It’s the breaking of bread that always seems to take more time, so I wait until the last minute to get started with this task. I was listening to the television, World News Tonight, and going through the repetitive motion of taking chunks of bread from a stuffing loaf and placing into a large metal mixing bowl. As I was working, terrible events were happening in the news. An officer was lost by violence, fugitives on the run, countries being torn by chaos. I continued to break the bread apart. As I did, I realized how lucky I am to being doing this simple task. I became overwhelmed with gratitude for food in a home I love and know my family and friends  are safe. But I also know life can change in a instant. It has happened before. I appreciate being blessed with mundane normalcy and peace. And try to help others who are less fortunate and be a blessing to someone each day.                                                                                            Thanksgiving is a time for us to remember how blessed we truly are in this life. So as this great meal ends and we begin to do our tasks, clearing the table, doing dishes, putting away leftovers, I will cherish the day at home. That warm place filled with scents of roasted turkey and pumpkin pie, recalling warm memories of those no longer with us, and thinking of those who are less fortunate who would have loved to just break bread for a holiday meal. Volunteering or donating supplies or funds is one way to make a difference. During this holiday, its best to remind ourselves that breaking bread is in itself a blessing everyone deserves.  XO,  PattyL #illustration #watercolor

'Juicy' Watercolor and Ink, 11" x 14"

Acts of Hope

Artists are hopeful people.

We read, draw and paint, write and wait while nothing appears to happen.

Yet we expect the audience will react...and eventually they do.

With responses of positive support and encouragement.

So I wasn't surprised to see the country's responses just a few days after the October 1st Las Vegas tragedy. Volunteers gathered to plant trees, flowers and plants in honor and memory of a loved one lost to such sadness. A community garden created by the community, for the community, to heal the community. A Healing Garden that will last and endure forever.

"Plant now, so in the spring, we can be reminded that even a tiny sapling can win against all odds."

-anonymous volunteer

As we attempt to return to a new 'normal' in the aftermath of our national tragedy, it may be gardening isn't just a hobby, but a way of life. One that lessens stress, brings beauty, provides inspiration for expression, and gives one hope for the future. As an artist, I spend a great deal of time tending to flowers, plants and vegetables in the garden. As well as studying colors, leaf formations, butterflies, birds and insects. I collect specimens of plants and press them for future reference for my paintings. Sometimes we underestimate the impact beauty has on our life. If we just take a moment to enjoy the colors, scents and sounds, it may be a powerful thing in one's journey on earth. 

So as we prepare for the holiday season ahead, and reflect on our past, celebrate the present, and await the future, let us be grateful for the many gifts our talents have been given to us to share with others in these challenging times.

XO,

PattyL

"The love of gardening is a seed once sown that never dies."

-Gertrude Jekyll

#autumnart #illustration

Sometimes the Blessing is to Accept the Change

Yesterday as I was driving along the highway to a family wedding,

I saw that enough leaves have begun to change color. As happy a I was to see the beautiful colors of gold, orange and red I wasn't quite ready to accept this sign, needing sweaters, coats, gloves, boots and shovels.

Change is stressful even when good...
Getting a new job, buying a home, getting married, having a baby, retiring, ...all things people plan,
look forward to in the future, and bring joy to their life. But change also can be more abruptly shaken  when change is something you were not planning or looking forward to, it becomes even more unsettling:
a loved one dies, an illness is diagnosed, a natural disaster occurs, a loss of job, a car accident.

Change can be confusing, making one feel lost. We are knocked out of our comfort area. Things become uncertain and we just do not know what to expect. We ask ourselves, "Who am I now?"
"How will I make it through this time in my life?" Whether change is accepting a new reality or adjusting to autumn moving to winter, it takes us a minute to find those answers and cope with the situation.

I remember how, incredibly difficult it was to be a caregiver of four loved ones through a span of eight years of my life. Each loved one had various diagnoses or terminal illnesses. How did I survive? As I moved through this change, I encountered denial, anger, resentment, resistance and I bargained with my faith to help my loved ones. I searched for hope and waited and waited, unable to move, sometimes over-reactive. 

I realized as a caregiver, as the changes were occurring, I was letting go of something and becoming something new. I had to focus my attention on my young daughter who needed strength and stability. I tended to my loved ones with the utmost care but I was still a wife, mother, daughter, artist and full-time employee. 

And so, as we move through change, whether it's personal, seasonal, environmental or political, we are always letting go of the old and embracing the new. Are we courageous enough to let go and be open to the new patterns in our life so it grows strong and beautiful?

In the painting, "Sweet Refreshment" the water fountain symbolizes the renewal change brings in one's life. The magic of fairyland shows one to be open to new ideas and creativity. To embrace life in all its glory.

Sometimes it requires only to be present in mind and a commitment to giving back. To help others in need, the homeless, the poor, the survivors of natural disasters. Yes, one experiences change in so many ways. Some good, some not so good, but if we stay resilient, it is our choice how we move forward.

XO,
Patty

Prints available at www.pattyblipinski.com

#blog #change #painting #watercolor #prints

'Sweet Refreshment'

Watercolor

Seasons

Coming Full Circle...

Every Autumn, I become consumed in the process of preparing the garden for winter.

I reflect upon how much the seasons direct my life. The seasons are a fact of nature, they just happen. I reminisce, it's all about time. I ponder activities such as planning, plowing, and harvesting the garden as well as religious celebrations and holidays. All seem to be part of a circle of events. Once again, its Autumn. Cold weather arrives and I put all summer items in storage for the garden has been put away.

I remember the warmer days with windows wide open. Soft breezes, colors of sky, soil and sunflowers. The beautiful monarch butterflies floating through the air from flower to flower. How the change of the butterfly adapts to its setting. Strength and beauty found in their translucent wings. Every spring the butterfly returns to my garden to bring beauty and hope.

I have come full circle. I am thankful for the blessings of each and every day and the cycle of seasons that bring joy to my life.

XO, 
Patty

 "September is dressing herself in showy dahlias and splendid marigolds and starry zinnias." 

-Oliver Wendell Holmes

'Wings of Grey', Pen and Ink, 8" x 11"

Art of Facts | Uncovering Pittsburgh Stories Kickstarter Campaign

Thinking today about my journey through the world with the gift of creativity.

It is a joy to express your vision through color, drawing and painting. To bring emotion to every illustration. I would like each of my works to show it's being has its own life, has its own ideas, has its own love, sadness, joy or anger.
By using expressive external elements of the painting to reveal the subject's internal world, its inner meaning.

This study takes years and years of practice with trials and errors along the way. But one of the most valuable decisions
I ever made was to join a professional artist group.
With seasoned illustrators as mentors, their guidance and direction, you become adept and skilled at your craft.

In support of that decision, please help our
Pittsburgh Society  of Illustrators Kickstarter Campaign.

This group's mission is to mentor and inspire young artists
to consider a career in illustration.

This campaign will run through August 17th, 2017 to raise funds for producing a high-quality,

full-color, 120-page catalog that will include reproductions of each work in the show along with bios and statements of each Illustrator.

Please visit our campaign site to learn more, receive updates and help make this exhibit the exciting success it was meant to be! Your credit card will not be charged UNLESS we meet our goal!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1330347473/art-of-facts-uncovering-pittsburgh-stories?ref=nav_search

In these times of uncertainty, it is with gratitude, I appreciate your support for the arts!          

XO, Patty

It's so exciting!

The Art of Facts | Uncovering Pittsburgh Stories Exhibition with the Pittsburgh Society of Illustrators 20th Anniversary show opening is only days away. 

Beginning July 22nd through January, 2018 at the
Pittsburgh Senator John Heinz History Center, Pittsburgh, PA
Hours: 10:00AM to 5:00PM
Be sure to stop in the museum gift shop to see prints and postcards of my entry's painting,    
"Paper, Pens & Petticoats, Jane Grey Swisshelm available for sale.

https:www.heinzhistorycenter.org/exhibits

#exhibit  #event #illustrators #historycenter #pittsburgh #artistoninstagram

An Artist's Inspiration

Do you ever wonder where an artist may get their ideas?

Well, I for one, read many books, fashion magazines, newspapers; or if I watch television or film, or look out the window at home or spend time with nature - there is inspiration everywhere.

You just have to look closely and let everything you see absorb into your senses. It may be the scent of falling rain, the brewing of fresh coffee, the sound of church bells ringing or the tiniest transluscent wings of a butterfly.

Inspiration...
I am inspired by all kinds of things - looking at the architecture of our city's buildings, the tall maple trees near my home.  Nature is a big influence - as you can see in my work. Symbolism is another - such as the butterfly's transformation from a silken cocoon to a breathtaking beauty rising heavenward with new life. And so is Faith. There are many notes of biblical scripture and how the verses relate to everyday life.

I record all my thoughts, ideas, sketches into leather-bound notebooks and now this collection has become a wonderful library. Journaling is a great experience and I recommend it highly to all. It brings balance and peace to one's soul!        

Follow me at https://www.facebook.com/pattyblipinski.artist
Stop by https://www.pattyblipinski.com to see how I have placed these ideas into paintings.

#sketches #notebook #journal #artist #artistoninstagram

ART OF FACTS | Uncovering Pittsburgh Stories Opening

Exhibit Saturday, July 22nd

@Senator John Heinz History Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania running till January, 2018

Member of the Pittsburgh Society of Illustrators Group Show

Art of Facts| Uncovering Pittsburgh Stories has been a wonderful experience for me.
The call to illustrators was to communicate the significance of Western Pennsylvania history in a way that tells a story through one's art. After I began to research all the many amazing facts about Western PA, I found Pittsburgh's roots showed great value.

I became intrigued with one person whom I found quite interesting. A woman who began her young career as a lace maker in a little shop in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania. She evolved to be the first woman editor to run the first newspaper in Pittsburgh, "Pittsburgh Spirit Liberty." Jane Grey Swisshelm was the person I chose to illustrate for this exhibit. Her strength and determination were somehow connected to my personal beliefs.

The story of Jane is one of conviction, courage and independence. She was a petite woman, with a pleasant face, eyes radiant with kindness, a soft voice and gracious manners. Her personality, however, was eccentric and abrasive but her intellect and positivity was clear in its principles. 
She became a great American journalist, publisher, abolitionist, women's rights advocate, Civil War nurse and first woman Correspondent in the Senate Gallery in Washington, DC when President Andrew Johnson was in office.

Eventually she returned home to farmland east of Pittsburgh, to Swissvale. Here Jane continued to write her autobiography, Half of a Century, which was published in 1881. She passed away on July 22, 1884 and is laid to rest at Allegheny Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
         

Like Jane Grey Swisshelm, I am a true believer in fairness and equality. It's important to me to help others, to have a strong faith, to care for the poor, to take care of loved ones who are ill, to love family and friends.

Yes, we should live a life worth living!

'Paper, Pens & Petticoats, Jane Grey Swisshelm', Watercolor, 18"x 24"
       
       

Hello and Welcome to my very first blog post!

I'm Patty and I have been an illustrator, painter and artist for several years.

I do portraits, murals and custom paint designs from a little studio in

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

I hope to share my joys, inspirations, ideas and thoughts with you as I

journey through my world of color one glaze at a time.

I hope you come back and visit!

XO, Patty